Young patient becomes a Trainee Biomedical Scientist at Queen’s Medical Centre
Eight year old Florence was given a VIP tour of the haematology labs the Queen’s Medical Centre, to see how her blood is tested, and how it affects her treatment.
Florence Pick-Glenn from Melton Mowbray, took part in a ‘Harvey’s Gang Tour’ offered by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH). This behind-the-scenes tour was offered to Florence who’s a regular patient at the QMC, after undergoing a blood transfusion in April 2017 and a kidney transplant in April 2018. Since then, Florence has had blood tests every eight weeks, and jumped at the chance to have a look at how things work behind the scenes, as a keen scientist.
Harvey’s Gang is a charity initiative that invites young patients into laboratories to see what happens when they have a blood test. Patients become ‘Trainee Biomedical Scientists’ for the day, to help remove some of the fear associated with treatment, and get a better understanding about what’s happening to them.
Kate Wilson, Higher Specialist Biomedical Scientist said: “The Harvey’s Gang Tours are a great way for young patients to take a lead role in their healthcare by becoming a Trainee Biomedical Scientist for the day.
“Florence was a pleasure to have in the labs. She took a keen interest in every machine and bit of equipment we showed to her, especially the air tube system used to send samples and notes to wards quickly. Florence even sent us a thank you note from her ward after the tour!”
Florence’s condition means that she requires blood tests every eight weeks. Using the lab equipment she ran the tests herself, with the help of staff members to interpret her results.
Claire Glenn, Florence’s Mum said: “The tour was really enjoyable and interesting - not just for Florence but for me as well! It was really interesting to see how results are found, from the moment Florence has a blood test, to when we are told the latest results.
“Florence learnt so much about how the blood works, looks and what it shows. She could not wait to go back to school and tell her class what she had been up to.”
The labs at Queen’s Medical Centre receive approximately 3,000 sample requests per day. All requests are processed by the laboratory staff and results are sent back to the relevant ward.